A new method of measurement of hepatic circulation by use of 133Xe

1) By use of 133Xe as a tracer and by elminating the effect of recirculation, a method for determinating the temporal activity pattern of the input in ROI in the liver, was devised. And, the hepatic blood flow via the hepatic artery and the portal vein, were able to be measured respectively on the basis of their time lag. 2) This method can clarify the circulatory situation in some circumscribed area of the liver, as well as that of the whole liver when it is considered homogeneous. 3) Non-invasive measurement using the similar method was also possible by subtracting the radioactive effect in the lung, following venous injection of the tracer. (author)